Safety razor



Feb. 19, 1935. l. B. MERRIMAN 1,991,404

SAFETY RAZOR Filed Oct. 7, 1953 gri-ff Patented Feb. 19, 1935 `UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE to Evermoist Razor Company, Warren,

a corporation of Rhode Island Application October 7, 1933, Serial No. 692,615 5Claims. (Cl. 30-12) The present invention relates to safety razors having separable blade and holder members, and more particularly to improvements in devices for furnishing a limited supply of liquid to the vblade during shaving operations.

It is generally acknowledged that moist heat applied to any razor blade when shaving improves the cutting edge, as evidenced by the prevalent practice of frequently dipping a razor in hot water during the course of shaving. 'I'he heat, while it lasts, intensifies the keenness of the blade edge to a marked degree and, at the same time,

the accompanying moisture softens the beard, keeps the skin wet and allows the razor to slide smoothly, eliminating all tension and pull. The obje'cts of the present invention are, accordingly, to accentuate and prolong the eifectvof the moist heat so secured in a razor and to distribute the heat directly along the blade edge where the work is being done. Otherl objects of the invention are to so arrange the parts that cleaningand manipulating the razor are greatly simplied and improved without in any other way detracting from effective operation. l

With the'above objects in view, a feature of the present invention contemplates the provision in a safety razor blade holder having one or more liquid retaining channels in surfaces vof the holder which contact with the blade forming a reservoir to retain a sufficient supply of hot water to heat the blade and a plurality of liquid distributing grooves forming outlets along the blade edge, of inlet ports in the blade holder for admitting a supply of liquid to the retaining grooves when the razor is immersed.

The razor embodying the invention is of the type having an end cap and a guard in which the actuation of a handle tightly compresses the blade between the inner surfaces of the cap and guard by fastenings passing through the blade and, as herein described, in order to prevent collapse of the channeled parts of the holder surrounding the fastenings, the blade engaging surfaces of the holder extend close to the fastenings, thus providing solid support against the blade clamping action. The blade holder, illustrated, is formed with a cap having a concave inner surface and the guard only is channeled, it being preferable to conduct the fluid directly to the cutting edge of the blade at the side of the blade out of contact with the skin. For this purpose as well as to prevent weakness of the guard structure, the liquid distributing grooves extend along the blade engaging surfaces of teeth formed adjacent the cutting edge of the blade,

To prevent the liquid held in the retaining channels from escaping, according to the particular form of the inventionshown, projecting lips are provided about vthe inner edges of the liquid inlet ports. The material forming these lips also 5 assists in strengthening the channeled parts of the holder along the portions where the greatest clamping strain is exerted, such strengthening being particularly advantageous when the liquid retaining parts of the holder are composed of a 10 non-metallic heat insulating substance, such as phenolic resin, casein, or other similar material.

Other features of the invention will be readily understood upon an inspection of the accompanying drawing and the following detailed de- 15 scription of the devices illustrated.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a razor embodying the features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the razor; Fig. 3 is'an enlarged view in section, taken along 20 the line 3-3 of Fig.,1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the razor guard; Fig. 5 is an end view of the guard shown in Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the razor on a still further enlarged scale, taken along the line 6-6 25 of Fig. l.

The razor illustrated in the drawing comprises a separable blade holder within which is secured a blade 10. The blade holder, having a guard 12 and an end cap 14, is secured together by fasten- 30 ings in the form of a central threaded stud 16 and a pair of positioning lugs 18 rigidly connected to the end cap and passing through suitable perforations in the guard 12. The blade is secured in the holder by engaging the upper thread- 35 ed end of a handle 20 with the stud 16 and rotating the handle until the parts are clamped in proper position. As in a common form of razor, the blade is sharpened on twol opposite parallel edges and is flexible so that it will fit preformed 40 surfaces of the cap and guard when clamped thereby. The guard is provided with a convex cylindrical surface evenly engaged by the blade and with a series of slots forming teeth 22 along the sides beneath the sharpened edges of the 45 blade. The blade, when compressed against the cylindrical surface of the guard by the end cap, having a similarly shaped complementary surface lies with its cutting edges along central portions of the teeth 22, as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, so that the edges of the blade will be properly exposed. The guard is also indented beneaththe -blade edges by removing, at least, portions of the upper surfaces of the teeth 22.

T0 retain a supply of hot water or other liquid 55 in the razor illustrated, a pair of closed. ended channels 24 are formed in the guard, each lying parallel to the edge of the blade. .The channels are separated from the openings, indicated at 28, through which the holder fastenings pass by portions of the cylindrical guard surface `which surrounds the openings so that, when the blade is compressed against this surface, the liquid retained in the channels may not readily escape. The cylindrical surfacesurrounding the central opening 26 also prevents collapse of the guard when the handle 20 is rotated to draw the cap down tightly into position.

The liquid is supplied to the channels, according to the present invention, through inlet ports 28 passing through the guard and communicating with the channels by a pair of transverse slots 30. The ports 28 enter the guard at-an intermediate portion of the guard between the openings 26 for the fastenings, and in order to provide sufficient strength, the material of the guard increases in thickness towards the ports 28 so as to form upwardly inclined lips 32 about the inner edges of the ports. This formation also assists in preventing escape of liquid retained in the channels 24 through the inlet ports and retards the flow from one channel to another when the razor is held upright.

The heated liquid in the channels is conducted gradually to the cutting edge of the blade when the razor is tilted through grooves 34 extending across a portion of the cylindrical blade engaging surface of the guard. The grooves 34 are spaced from the slots between the teeth 22 and extend along the surface of the guard into the root portions of the teeth, thus assisting in guiding the heated liquid from the channels 24 directly to the cutting edge of the blade where it is distributed lengthwise of the working edge during operation of the razor. The effect of the heated moisture intensifies the cutting action of the blade edge to a marked degree and also moistens the skin to soften the beard and lather and permit the razor to glide freely over the surface of the skin without vibration, as when the skin becomes dry. The grooves 34, as formed, do not weaken the structure of the guard as they would if located in alignment with the spaces between the teeth, and act to limit the flow of liquid to a minimum amount when the blade holder is inclined at an angle, as in use. The liquid supply in the channels 24 may, by this arrangement, be used to the greatest advantage without requiring replenishment for a number of cutting strokes. When it is necessary to add to the supply of liquid, the blade holder is inverted and either immersed. in a container holding hot water or held under a stream of hot water directed against .the under side of the holder while the handle is inclined upwardly to one side where it will be kept dry. The flow of water about the holder will always act to force the water into the ports 28 and out the grooves 34, so that material collected on the edge of the blade will be softened and carried away from the razor rather than accumulated on or about the cutting edge.A The retaining channels will be fully flushed with clean water and, even in case the razor is allowed to dry by itself, without being taken apart, the parts will be--found clean and free from matter which will obstruct the edge of the blade when the razor is again used. The reservoir formed by the channels for the supply of heated water is lsuillcient to store a considerable amount of heat to be gradually conducted to the blade edge directly after immersion of the razor, so that a minimum ammmt of heat is lost. The inlet ports, being larger than the distributing grooves, are of sufiicient size to quickly fill the supply channels while the razor is assembled and to permit use without further manipulation, so that no time is wasted.V This construction, particularly when used in connection with a guard composed of heat insulating material, also permits the yuse of very hot water, even to the boiling point without uncomfortable effects because the flow to the blade edge through the distributing grooves is restricted.

By suitably positioning and arranging the various indentations and openings in the guard, the strength of the parts is not impaired even though constructed of suitable non-metallic heat insulating material. In the preferred form of the invention, however, the guard only is construc'ted of non-metallic material while the cap is formed of metal.

An embodiment of the invention having been particularly described, what is claimed is:

l. A safety razor having, in combination, a blade and a separable blade holder comprising guard and end cap members, one at least of which is provided with an enlarged channel extending in the direction of the length of the blade in a surface engaged by the central part of the blade forming a reservoir for retaining a suitable supply of hot liquid to heat and moisten the blade, a plurality of shallow grooves forming distributing outlets between said retaining channel and separated portions of the cutting edge of the blade to cause the supply of liquid, when the razor is tilted, to be conducted gradually to the cutting edge, and one or more inlet ports passing through one of the blade holder members and opening on the outer surface of said member shaped to quickly admit a supply of liquid to the retaining channel when the holder is immersed and arranged to prevent the escape therethrough of liquid from a substantial part of the reservoir when the razor is held in operating position.

2. A safety razor having, in combination, a blade and a separable blade holder comprising an end cap and a guard formed with a surface against which the blade is evenly compressed by the cap, an enlarged channel lengthwise of the guard in the blade surface of the guard forming a reservoir for retaining a suitable supply of hot liquid to heat and moisten the blade, a plurality of shallow grooves forming distributing outlets between said retaining channel and separated portions of the blade edge to cause the supply of liquid, when the razor is tilted, to be conducted gradually to the cutting edge, and one or more inlet ports passing through the guard and opening in the outer surface of the guard shaped to quickly admit a supply of liquid to the retaining channel when the holder is immersed and arranged to prevent the escape therethrough of liquid from a substantial part of the reservoir when the razor is held in operating position.

3. A safety razor having, in combination, a blade and a separable blade holder comprising an end cap and a guard formed with a surface against which the blade is evenly compressed by the cap, an enlarged channel lengthwise of the guard in the blade engaging surface of the guard forming a reservoir for retaining a suitable supply of hot liquid to heat and moisten the blade, a plurality of shallow grooves, covered by the blade and forming distributing outlets between said retaining channel and separated portions of the blade edge to cause the supply of liquid, when the razor is tilted, to be conducted gradually to the cutting edge, one or more inlet ports passing through the guard and opening on the outer surface of the guard for quickly admitting a' supply of liquid to the retaining channel when the holder is immersed, and projecting lips about the inlet ports to prevent escape of the liquid supply through said ports when the razor is held in operative position with the cap uppermost.

4. A safety razor having, in combination, a flexible double edged blade, a separable blade holder comprising a concave end cap, a guard formed with a convex surface against which thel blade is evenly compressed by the cap with both cutting edges exposed, an enlarged channel in the blade engaging surface of the guard along each cutting edge of the blade forming a reservoir for retaining a. suitable supply of hot liquid to heat and moisten the blade, a plurality of shallow grooves covered by the blade and forming distributing outlets between said retaining channels and separated portions of the blade edge to cause the supply of liquid when the` razor is tilted to be conducted gradually to the cutting edge, one or more inlet ports passing through the guard and opening on the outer surface of the guard forl quickly admitting a supply of liquid to the channels, slots intersecting the inlet ports and extending between the retaining channels, the depth of said slots adjacent the inlet ports being less than the depth of the retaining channels to prevent escape of liquid supplies in the channels through Vsaid ports when the razor is held in operative position with the cap uppermost.

5. A safety razor having, in combination, a handle, a perforated blade and a separable blade holder having fastenings extending through the blade to be actuated by the handle and comprising non-metallic heat insulating guard and metal end cap members formed with complementary blade engaging surfaces surrounding the fastenings, an enlarged channel lengthwise of the guard in the guard surface engaged by the central part of the blade and spaced from the fastenings forming a reservoir for retaining a suitable supply of hot liquid to heat and moisten the blade, a plurality of shallow grooves forming distributing outlets connecting said retaining channel and separated portions of the blade edge to cause the supply of liquid, when the razor is tilted, to be conducted gradually to the cutting edge, and one or more inlet ports passing through the guard and opening on the outer surface of the guard shaped to quickly admit a supply of liquid to the channel and arranged to prevent the escape therethrough of liquid from a substantial part of the reservoir when the razor is held in operating position. y

, ISAAC B. MERRIMAN. 

